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NOT SO HOLY
Japanese high school students wearing masks in Tokyo May 17, 2009
"Catholic churchgoers in Tokyo will have to do without holy water for now as the H1N1 influenza outbreak prompts Japanese churches to take steps to prevent the spread of the virus. The Franciscan Chapel Centre in Tokyo is one church that has decided to empty the holy water basins, into which parishioners traditionally dip their fingers and bless themselves by making a sign of the cross." (Yahoo News, 21 August) RD
By egoutture at August 31, 2009 No comments:
GREEN SHOOTS? WHERE?
"Network Rail has revealed plans to cut 1,800 maintenance jobs ... Fujitsu, the computer giant, is cutting 1,200 jobs - one in ten of its workforce in Britain. Lloyds Banking Group is shedding a further 200 posts in a fresh round of cuts that takes its total job losses this year to 7,500. About 850 jobs were lost with the closure of 142 Allied Carpets outlets by administrators. GKN, the engineering group, announced that a further 1,200 workers would be made redundant, in addition to the 2,500 jobs already cut. In the three months to June, unemployment climbed to 7.8 per cent - its highest level in 13 years. Economists are predicting that jobless numbers will soon pass three million to rival the worst levels of the 1980s. (Times, 28 August) RD
CAPITALISM IS MAD
Elsie Poncher is selling her husband's burial spot directly above film legend
Marilyn Monroe so that she can pay off pay off the $1.6 million mortgage on her
Beverly Hills home.
When socialists explain that world socialism is a new society wherein all wealth will be produced solely for use and not sale and that there will be no wages, prices or rent inside socialism we are often accused of madness! To these defenders of capitalism there is something sane about people starving while food is destroyed. We wonder what they make of the following news item though. There are people today trying to survive on less than $2 a day at the same time as some crazed millionaires can get away with this madness. "Even in death, Marilyn Monroe is still snagging millionaires. An unidentified deep-pocketed fan who clearly prefers blonds placed the winning $4.6 million bid Monday in an eBay auction for the crypt directly above the sexy screen icon's grave. Beverly Hills widow Elsie Poncher put her husband's strategically positioned crypt on the auction block with a starting price of $500,000. Bidding soared to $4.5 million three days later." (Daily News, 24 August) Elsie Poncher is selling her husband's burial spot directly above film legend Marilyn Monroe so that she can pay off pay off the $1.6 million mortgage on her Beverly Hills home. RD
RELIGIOUS ROOTS
"In brief, the number of American non-believers has doubled since 1990, a 2008 Pew survey found, and increased even more in some other advanced democracies. What's curious is not so much the overall decline of belief (which has caused the Vatican to lament the de-Christianization of Europe) as the pattern. In a paper last month in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gregory Paul finds that countries with the lowest rates of social dysfunction—based on 25 measures, including rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, unemployment, and poverty—have become the most secular. Those with the most dysfunction, such as Portugal and the U.S., are the most religious, as measured by self-professed belief, church attendance, habits of prayer, and the like." (Newsweek, 31 August) RD
HONG KONG HOUSING
"It's cramped and stale in what Lau Chi-lok calls home: a 20-square-foot portion of an apartment that he shares with 21 other men. For $167 a month, Lau gets the top bunk in what the government euphemistically calls a "bed space," or cubicle dwelling — a tiny rectangular area, partitioned by thin wooden slabs or steel mesh wire to safeguard the resident's belongings, barely large enough for a mattress. At least there's air-conditioning, turned on at 9 p.m. every summer night. For most people in Hong Kong, the lives of Lau and his roommates are a world apart, hidden behind gated doors and dark stairways. But this is home to thousands of Hong Kong's urban slum dwellers, who are barely making ends meet and — in this year's downturn — putting off dreams of a better life. Across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong's central business district, in a neighbourhood of bright neon signs and bustling vendors, 33-year-old Lai Man-law has been looking for a job for the past year while living in a mesh-wire 18-square-foot cage. "It's dirty and hot. There are cockroaches and bedbugs, and the air-conditioning doesn't work," he says. Every major metropolis has its share of slums; the U.N. estimates that one-third of the developing world's urban population lives in them, with nearly 40% of East Asian urban dwellers living in slum conditions." (Time, 21 August) RD
LA BELLE FRANCE?
French Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie visits the prison of Orleans in
central France. Alliot-Marie.
"France's overcrowded prisons are to be issued with preventive "kits" to help stem an alarming rise in suicide rates among inmates, the justice minister said on Tuesday. Since the start of the year, 81 prisoners have killed themselves in French jails, which are designed for a maximum of 51,000 inmates but currently house more than 62,000, according to official government figures. The International Prison Observatory this month put the figure even higher, at 88, attacking what it called a "worrying" trend in French jails. Under new measures, inmates identified as high risk will receive kits with tear-proof bedding and single-use paper pyjamas to prevent in-cell hangings, which accounts for 96 percent of all suicides." (Yahoo News, 18 August) RD
POISONED BY CAPITALISM
"More than 2,000 children have been found to have lead poisoning because Chinese factories greedy for profit have spewed out pollutants without carrying out even the most minor environmental monitoring. Officials announced yesterday that 1,354 children under 14, who had been living and going to school for more than two years within a few hundred metres of a manganese smelter, had excess lead in their blood. Local officials said that the numbers could rise when further tests were carried out." (Times, 21 August) RD
A WONDERFUL TOWN?
"It's too bad so many people are falling into poverty at a time when it's almost illegal to be poor. You won't be arrested for shopping in a Dollar Store, but if you are truly, deeply, in-the-streets poor, you're well advised not to engage in any of the biological necessities of life — like sitting, sleeping, lying down or loitering. City officials boast that there is nothing discriminatory about the ordinances that afflict the destitute, most of which go back to the dawn of gentrification in the '80s and '90s. "If you're lying on a sidewalk, whether you're homeless or a millionaire, you're in violation of the ordinance," a city attorney in St. Petersburg, Fla., said in June, echoing Anatole France's immortal observation that "the law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges." (New York Times, 8 August) RD
Why the SNP Must Fail
Community Central Hall, 304 Maryhill Rd. 19 August 8.30pm
In his talk Vic will look at the birth of the SNP and why it's nickname was " The Tartan Tories" and he will explain how the SNP was transformed from the mere handful it had been until the late 1950s to the major political force it is in Scotland today.
Vic will also look at the conflict which raged in the SNP for decades between the traditionalists and the pragmatists and why the triumph of the latter paved the way for this rags-to-riches transformation.
The SNP can hardly wait for the next General Election when it expects to make the substantial gains, probably at the expense of Labour, which it hopes will be a major step towards their goal of a fully independent Scotland.
Could this happen at some point in the future and would it be in the interests of the working class in Scotland if it did?
By Matthew Culbert at August 18, 2009 1 comment:
LAZY WORKERS?
"Feel like you're working a lot harder these days, putting in longer hours for the same pay — or even less? The latest round of government data on worker productivity indicates that you probably are. The Labour Department said Tuesday that the American work force produced, at an annual rate, 6.4 percent more of the goods they made and services they provided in the second quarter of this year compared to a year ago. At the same time, "unit labour costs" — the amount employers paid for all that extra work — fell by 5.8 percent. The jump in productivity was higher than expected; the cut in labour costs more than double expectations."
(msnbc.com, 11 August) RD
RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION?
"Recession has shaken nearly every corner of the U.S. economy but Trinity Yachts is still turning out custom-built luxury boats, thanks in part to a sagging U.S. dollar. Trinity, the largest U.S. mega-yacht builder, will deliver eight sumptuously outfitted boats this year from its shipyards in Gulfport, Mississippi and New Orleans. The yachts ooze indulgence, with interiors laden with fine millwork, marble flooring, wine cellars, high-end home theatres and onboard submarines designed for underwater sightseeing. Prices range from $25 million to $80 million." (Yahoo News, 9 August) RD
Even in an economic downturn, preachers in the "prosperity gospel" movement are drawing sizable, adoring audiences. Their message — that if you have sufficient faith in God and the Bible and donate generously, God will multiply your offerings a hundredfold — is reassuring to many in hard times ( NYTimes aug 15th )
Big Brother: It has been revealed that there are 4.2million closed circuit
TV cameras in the UK
"Britain has one and a half times as many surveillance cameras as communist China, despite having a fraction of its population, shocking figures revealed yesterday. There are 4.2million closed circuit TV cameras here, one per every 14 people. But in police state China, which has a population of 1.3billion, there are just 2.75million cameras, the equivalent of one for every 472,000 of its citizens. Simon Davies from pressure group Privacy International said the astonishing statistic highlighted Britain's 'worrying obsession' " (Daily Mail, 11 August) RD
Who owns the North Pole - Part 16
Continuing our Arctic Saga
Canada is launching a series of military exercises in the Arctic far-north region of the country.The so-called sovereignty operation is designed to show a visible presence in the resource-rich area, amid competing claims among other nations.Asserting Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic has been a priority for Mr Harper's conservative government.
Operation Nanook will see the Canadian Armed Forces involved in sea, land and airforce operations in the country's eastern Arctic territory.
Once thought a barren region, a number of countries with competing claims have been carefully mapping the area around the North Pole, thought to be rich in minerals and natural resources.
Canada is also concerned by the melting of ice each year through the fabled Northwest Passage, blamed by scientists on global warming. The United States government has said that it does not recognise exclusive Canadian rights to the waterway, that could be a link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
By ajohnstone at August 17, 2009 No comments:
Labels: Arctic, Canada, North Pole, war
A TORY MP SPEAKS
"Alan Duncan's future in the Shadow Cabinet was in the balance last night after he was forced to apologise for claiming that MPs were living on rations because of the expenses row. ...Mr Duncan, who is paying back £4,000 after details of his claim for gardening was revealed, said: "I spend my money on my garden and claim a tiny fraction based on what is proper. And I could claim the whole bloody lot, but I don't." Asked why people would no longer want to become MPs, he said: "Basically, it's been nationalised, you have to live on rations and are treated like s***." (Times, 13 August) RD
ANOTHER FINANCIAL EXPERT?
"Last October, Alan Greenspan — who had spent years assuring investors that all was well with the American financial system — declared himself to be in a state of "shocked disbelief." After all, the best and brightest had assured him our financial system was sound: "In recent decades, a vast risk management and pricing system has evolved, combining the best insights of mathematicians and finance experts supported by major advances in computer and communications technology. . . . The whole intellectual edifice, however, collapsed in the summer of last year."
(New York Times, 6 August) RD
GLASGOW BRANCH ACTIVITY
COMMUNITY CENTRAL HALLS
304 MARYHILL ROAD
WEDNESDAY 19th AUGUST
A DISCUSSION ON INDEPENDENCE FOR SCOTLAND
WHY THE S.N.P. MUST FAIL
SPEAKER VIC VANNI
Vic's talk
BIRD BRAIN INVESTORS
The parrot, using its beak, made random choices from balls representing 30 blue
chips including Samsung Electronics
"Ddalgi (Korean for strawberry), from Papua New Guinea, finished third in the six-week contest which ended on Wednesday, said Paxnet, an online stock market information provider. The bird competed with 10 stock investors. Each started with 60 million won (£29,000) in cyber money and traded 10 million won worth of stocks in each transaction. Human investors picked any stocks they wanted. The parrot, using its beak, made random choices from balls representing 30 blue chips including Samsung Electronics. "The outcome of our contest was amazing. Ddalgi stood third with her investment return standing at 13.7 per cent," Chung Yeon-Dae, the Paxnet general manager, told AFP. Human investors averaged a 4.6 per cent loss, with only two outperforming the parrot - one by 64.4 per cent and one by 21.4 per cent."
(Daily Telegraph, 7 August) RD
By egoutture at August 13, 2009 1 comment:
THE REVEREND MONEYBAGS
Most Reverend gentlemen tell their flocks not to thirst after the material things of life, but a recent obituary highlighted one American bible thumper who couldn't be accused of such nonsense. "One of America's first tele-evangelists, F.J. Eikerenkoetter 11, 74, better known as the Rev. Ike spread his gospel of material wealth to millions of viewers with proclamations like "Jesus was a capitalist". His opulent lifestyle, bankrolled by church donations, included several mansions and a fleet of Rolls-Royces. "My garage runneth over", he once quipped."
(Time, 17 August)
It is true the Good Book promised "In my father's house there are many mansions". We can't recall any mention of Rollers or garages though. RD
LAS VEGAS, ANOTHER VIEW
We are all aware of the Hollywood depiction of Las Vegas as a fun-loving city, full of casinos, nightclubs and good times, but the reality for its growing homeless numbers is far from idylic. As jobs and homes disappear many of the dispossessed street dwellers are subject to attacks of violence. Now even the the streets are being abandoned by the homeless. "Some of the Las Vegas homeless resort to living in a maze of underground flood channels beneath the Strip. There they face flash floods, disease, black widows and dank, pitch-dark conditions, but some tunnel dwellers say life there is better than being harassed and threatened by assailants and the police. "Out there, anything goes," said Manny Lang, who has lived in the tunnels for months, recalling the stones and profanities with which a group of teenagers pelted him last winter when he slept above ground. "But in here, nothing's going to happen to us."
(New York Times, 7 August) In one of the most sophisticated urban areas in the world some members of the working class are living like sewer rats. What a hellish system capitalism is.
WAR THREATENS ONCE AGAIN
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez greets supporters in Quito, Ecuador, on
Sunday. Chavez has charged that Colombian troops entered Venezuela by crossing
the Orinoco River, a move he warned was a "provocation" by his U.S.-backed
Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe.
CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez told his military to be prepared for a possible confrontation with Colombia, warning that Bogota's plans to increase the U.S. military presence at its bases poses a threat to Venezuela.
Chavez has issued near daily warnings that Washington could use bases in Colombia to destabilize the region since learning of negotiations to lease seven Colombian military bases to the United States.
Food for Thought 4
On the poverty front – a Toronto Star article (Put Poverty on the G8's Agenda – for effectiveness, (see Food for thought, How Capitalism Works) described how water was brought to 8 000 people in the Congo for just $40 000 and if only the world's wealthy nations would deliver on their promised $60 billion over five years (see same item again!) then a real dent could be made in aids, health systems, reducing child mortality. Etc. The article does tell us that World Bank statistics show rising food costs could lead to 2.8 million more children dying by 2015; that with some increase for basic health services, annual child deaths fell from 10.9 to 9.2 million, 2002-2007. That still leaves 26 000 per day dying from preventable diseases and hunger. Naturally, the article never once questioned the system that caused the problem and is expected to fix it, if we beg hard enough!
- In the Olympic city of Vancouver, $million dollar condo high rise buildings are rubbing shoulders with homeless shelters and mini tent cities. The former are getting the authorities to close down the latter.Meanwhile, the city has spent $10 million on the athlete's village. Advocates hope that the houses will become low income but at a cost of $440 000 each, the city has to decide whether to sell them at market price, or not. Priorities, priorities in a profit system.
- In environmental affairs, a Toronto Star investigation (4/July 09), revealed that the city's boast of diverting one third of garbage to compost is a sham and grossly inflated. Apparently the compost that is produced will kill plants because of its high salt content (see same item)- In the nether world of religion, an article entitled "Ireland's Holy Stump a Blessing in Tough Times", tells us that a tree cut down resembled, to some, the virgin Mary. The overseer remarked, "People have been crying out for something good to happen and this is all good for the soul." The parish priest said that they were letting their imaginations run wild and they were threatening to violate the commandment about a false god.
Opium of the people, indeed! We can tell them something better that ought to happen.- And in the middle of the Michael Jackson hysteria, the Toronto Star ran Article, "Is Michael Jackson Going to Heaven – he was raised by Jehovah's witnesses, married into scientology and flirted with Judaism and Islam. Now the debate rages over his soul." One gem will suffice
– "One intriguing argument goes that since Jackson never matured beyond childhood, his innocence remains perfectly intact." And this dribble, note, appeared in the section of the paper titled "Insight"!!!
John Ayers
REFORM UNDER ATTACK
Councils say they do not have enough funds to pay bus companies
Providing free bus travel for all pensioners is an "inefficient" use of public funds, a report has concluded.
The study by the consultancy Oxera for the Local Government Association says councils would be better off targeting those who were most in need.
Free bus passes for over-60s in England were introduced by the government in 2008, but many councils say the funding arrangements leave them out of pocket. ( BBC NEWS 6th Aug 09)
In times of slump any benefits workers receive are up for grabs. A means test was suggested, back to the good old days?
Money_Commodity_Money+
A method of keeping up the prices is to subsidise the purchase of a new one while making sure your old one is clunkered as the Americans say. Senate opponents of the program, most of them Republicans, question its effectiveness and cost.
President Barack Obama signed a bill extending the popular program into Labor Day and preventing the 2-week-old incentives from running out, the White House said on Friday.
The Senate voted to refill the car incentive program on Thursday, tripling the $1 billion fund that has led to big crowds at once deserted auto showrooms.
SOCIALIST STANDARD'S FALLING SALES?
"A media committee in Venezuela's parliament is set to begin Tuesday studying a draft law that, if approved, could jail anyone publishing comments that authorities consider a threat to national interests. The controversial text will be weighed just days after President Hugo Chavez's government revoked the licenses of 32 radio stations and two local television stations "to democratize the radio-electric spectrum." The moves were slammed by critics of the firebrand leftist leader and others as a coordinated crackdown on media challenging the president's image and policies, and as signs that freedom of expression is being muzzled."
(Yahoo News, 3 August) RD
- Those who always do very well, continue to do so, even though Ontario's Industry Minister refused do divulge GM or Chrysler executives' pay
– "taxpayers should feel comfortable with government oversight of GM and Chrysler – and don't need to know how much top executives are being paid in Canada. Canada invested $14 billion in those companies.
Apparently, disclosure would frighten top executives away and, in any case, they are too busy selling cars. The arrogance of the capitalist apologists knows no bounds!
A few figures anyway – Citigroup, Merril Lynch and seven other banks paid $32.6 billion in bonuses in 2008 while receiving $175 billion in tax-payer assistance; Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase paid out $18 billion in bonuses while getting $45 billion in Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP – some cover!). The top 200 at Morgan Chase shared $1.12 billion (average 5.6. million); AIG insurance under new government-appointed CEO Ed Liddy paid out $165 million in bonuses after receiving $173 billion; Hey, maybe they are worth every penny? Rick Wagner of GM received $65 million over 5 years while accumulating a staggering $82 billion in debt; Stanley O'Neal collected $233 million for managing Merrill Lynch into the ground; CEO's pay rose 2 per cent in 2008 while Standard and Poor's 500 index lost 27%. Now that's merit pay! In 1980, the typical CEO received 40 times the pay of the average worker. In 2007, that figure was 433 times. "The obvious questions arise" wrote the Toronto Star (26/Jul/09) " Are corporate CEOs 393 times smarter than they were in 1980? Have they been producing 393 times more wealth for shareholders?
Well, no, of course". Did they produce any wealth? Well no, of course!
RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? (2)
No deckhands are needed to clamber up the rigging and unfurl the sails, however.
Instead, the Maltese Falcon's DynaRig system can be sailed by one man from a
computerised control console on the bridge that moves the yards and sails
according to the wind and current
"It required some trimming of the price, but a buyer has finally been found for the largest and most expensive private sailing vessel built. Tom Perkins, the American venture capitalist, is close to completing the sale of his clipper-style super yacht the Maltese Falcon. The 289ft boat — an elegant "hybrid" that can run on giant sails or engines — is believed to have fetched about £60m after being on the market for more than a year."
(Sunday Times, 2 August) RD
On the economic front, we can all breathe a sigh of relief – the governor of the Bank of Canada has declared the recession over. Say what!
The unemployment rate is up (a manipulated 9.6% in Toronto), 467 000 jobs lost in the US (an accompanying picture shows a man outside his home, an old RV – complete with the American flag!); consumer prices in Canada record the biggest slide since 1955 bringing widespread fears of deflation; Britain's economy shrank by 5.6% over the last year; over 750 000 Canadians are drawing unemployment insurance, up 11% since April. The governor did have the good grace to say job recovery is expected by 2014. Now listen to another economist's whitewash of the figures (CBC radio).
The fact that so many Canadians are on unemployment is a good sign. Since only those who actively seek work can draw benefits, this shows that more people are optimistic about finding a job and signing up. I suppose they forego those benefits if they don't think their chances are good. When the figure reaches one million, we can all rejoice. Note that only about one third of workers are eligible for benefits.
"A rare, 5-carat pink diamond will be sold in Hong Kong this December by Christie's, which expects the stone to hover near world record prices, thanks in part to the buying prowess of top Asian jewelry collectors. The stone, set in a so-called "cushion-cut" ring by famed jewellers Graff Diamonds, is expected to fetch between $5-$7 million, in reach of the current world auction record for a pink diamond -- a 19.66-carat stone that sold in Geneva for $7.4 million in 1994." (Yahoo News, 3 August) RD
- How capitalism works –
1. Researchers revealed this week that Canadian food products contain up to twice as much salt as those in other countries, even when those products are identical in every other respect. Salt enhances taste, of course, but also is responsible for increased heart and stroke problems. In fact, 30 people die per day in this country because of elevated levels of salt. Checking the food label doesn't help as daily percentages are based on a sodium intake of twice the accepted amount. The government has remained silent.
2. Struggling pig farmers are considering euthanizing healthy pigs as pork prices drop due to the negative publicity of swine flu. Imagine, thousands starving to death every day and pigs are to be slaughtered to keep prices up!
3.Another G8 summit, another waste of time. In the Orwellian titled document "Responsible Leadership for a Sustainable Future", the `leaders' showed no responsibility and did nothing to ensure sustainability, even of profit.
4. Times are tough, go after the workers' benefits. Almost 300 000 unionized grocery workers received a notice recently of `benefit restructuring', specifically in their pensions. The futility of reform!
5. Wal-mart is noted for fighting unionization, poor pay and benefits for their workers. David Olive writes (Toronto Star, 5/Jul/09),
"Wal-mart signaled this week that it's poised to be in the vanguard of genuine health care reform in the US, breaking ranks with corporate lobbies fiercely opposed to it."
Now get up off the floor and read on,
" Reason: Wal-Mart has so improved its health care benefits for employees that it's now at a competitive disadvantage to its rivals." See the logic? That's how capitalism works.
The financial journalist Richard Wachman recently wrote an article in The Observer entitled "We're two years older and sadder, but perhap not a great deal wiser".He reviewed the financial collapse that had occured from August '07 to August '09. "What happened two years ago was to lead to a chain of event that involved the nationalisation of about half the major bank in Britain and the United States. It was also to lead to the collapse of emerging markets from Latvia to Pakistan and the biggest ever globally co-ordinated government rescue package, involving trillions of pounds. The world is now an uglier place with mass unemployment, widespread business failure and dramatic falls in world trade." (Observer, 2 August)
Mr Wachman's analyisis of the problem is not particularly revealing but what is of interest in his article is how the crisis has left so-called experts with egg on their faces. Mervyn King (August, 2007) "I don't think there's any real evidence here of a fundemental challenge to the macroeconomic outlook." and then (February, 2009) "The UK is in deep recession ...Restoring both lending and confidence will not be easy and will take time." George W Bush (August, 2007) "The fundementals of our economy are strong ... and we are headed for a soft landing." and then "If money isn't loosened up, this sucker could go down." (September, 2008) Alistair Darling (August 2007) "People should have confidence that many of the investment they make will be good investments." and then "Times are are arguably the worst they've been in 60 years... it's going to be more long-lasting than people thought." (September 2008)
Capitalism is a social system based on economic slumps and booms and it makes fools of all the "experts". RD
PROFIT BEFORE ENVIRONMENT
"India will not discuss signing up to legally binding obligations to make absolute cuts in greenhouse gas emissions for at least 10 years, Jairam Ramesh, the country's environment minister, said on Friday. "In 2020, it's conceivable that we might look at a limited target. But in 2009, no way," said Mr Ramesh. The toughening of New Delhi's stance marks an escalation in the war of words over global warming that India has waged with the developed world ahead of crucial negotiations in Copenhagen in December. The bad-tempered dialogue bodes ill for the success of those talks. Both India and China are unhappy over what they see as western pressure on them to join in a global deal, while the developed world – which bears historic responsibility for global warming – has failed to meet its own emissions targets."
(Financial Times, 31 July) RD
RELIGIOUS NONSENSE
"The Dalai Lama may not be the first person who comes to mind for business advice but, as the Buddhist monk wrote in his new book, capitalism can profit from Buddhism's principles and values. In "The Leader's Way," published this month by Broadway Books, the spiritual leader of Tibet wrote that both business and Buddhism attach importance to happiness and making the right decisions, and a company without "happy employees, customers and shareholders will ultimately fail." Citing Buddhist basics such as good intentions, a calm mind free of negative thoughts and a realization that nothing is permanent, the Dalai Lama and co-author Laurens van den Muyzenberg tackle timely issues such as corporate compensation, malfeasance and the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market...."When I started this project, I was not sure that companies could act in such a way that they could deserve a thoroughly good reputation. Now I am convinced that they can," the Dalai Lama wrote. Profit, for example, is "a fine aim," but not the main role of business, which is "to make a contribution to the well-being of society at large," he wrote." (Yahoo News, 28 July) RD
ALL IN YOUR MIND?
From left, Deng Yanli, Tian Lihua and Li Xiuying at Jihua Hospital in Jilin. Ms.
Deng told of suffering convulsions and dizziness.
"Jilin City, China — Tian Lihua was just beginning her morning shift when she felt a wave of nausea, then numbness in her limbs and finally dizziness that gave way to unconsciousness. In the days that followed, more than 1,200 fellow employees at the textile mill where Ms. Tian works would be felled by these and other symptoms, including convulsions, breathing difficulties, vomiting and temporary paralysis. "When I finally came to, I could hear the doctors talking but I couldn't open my eyes," she said weakly from a hospital bed last month. "They said I had a reaction to unknown substances." Ms. Tian and scores of other workers say the "unknown substances" came from a factory across the street that produces aniline, a highly toxic chemical used in the manufacture of polyurethane, rubber, herbicides and dyes. As soon as the Jilin Connell Chemical Plant started production this spring, local hospitals began receiving stricken workers from the acrylic yarn factory 100 yards downwind from Connell's exhaust stacks. On some days, doctors were overwhelmed and patients were put two to a bed. A clear case of chemical contamination? Not so, say Chinese health officials who contend that the episode is a communal outbreak of psychogenic illness, also called mass hysteria. The blurry vision, muscle spasms and pounding headaches, according to a government report issued in May, were simply psychological reactions to a feared chemical exposure." (New York Times, 29 July) RD
ONE TO MISS
"His birth was marked by a double rainbow and a new star, he hit 11 holes-in-one in his first game of golf, finishing 38 under par, and throughout his life he has performed heroic feats impossible for mere mortals. When he shouts, "huge storms happen". The life of North Korea's ailing leader, Kim Jong-il, has long been extravagantly window-dressed by the state's diligent chroniclers, but now it is about to get the full regal treatment with a new movie chronicling his exploits from childhood to living legend. North Korea's state media said this week that the first part of a multi-series documentary about Mr Kim's birth, childhood and early achievements, when he developed "military ideas and theories and tactics of [his father] President Kim Il-sung", has already been produced. Although other propaganda movies extol Mr Kim's boundless virtues – one records that he came down from the heavens accompanied by a huge snowstorm – this will be the first to "comprehensively deal... with his revolutionary exploits", said the Korean Central News Agency." (Independent, 17 July) RD
UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS
"Hotel cleaners in some of London's top hotels are paid less than half the minimum wage to service rooms that cost up to £400 a night. An investigation by The Times has revealed a pattern of ruthless exploitation in which immigrants desperate for work are paid a pittance for their labour at some of the capital's luxury establishments. A number of workers have told The Times that gang masters are fiddling employee's timesheets so that they earn only £100 for a 40-hour week." (Times, 31 July) RD
POVERTY AND ILL HEALTH
"People living in the poorest parts of Scotland are 64 per cent more likely to get type 2 diabetes than those in affluent areas, health campaigner have said. The charity Diabete UK Scotland also said those with the condition in deprived areas were more likely to develop complications, Type 2 diabetes usually affect middle-aged or older people, but is more frequently being found in younger people." (Times, 28 July) RD
GOD AS A HISTORY MAKER
"The Christian right is making a fresh push to force religion onto the school curriculum in Texas with the state's education board about to consider recommendations that children be taught that there would be no United States if it had not been for God. Members of a panel of experts appointed by the board to revise the state's history curriculum, who include a Christian fundamentalist preacher who says he is fighting a war for America's moral soul, want lessons to emphasise the part played by Christianity in the founding of the US and that religion is a civic virtue. ...One of the panel, David Barton, founder of a Christian heritage group called WallBuilders, argues that the curriculum should reflect the fact that the US Constitution was written with God in mind including that "there is a fixed moral law derived from God and nature", that "there is a creator" and "government exists primarily to protect God-given rights to every individual"....Another of the experts is Reverend Peter Marshall, who heads his own Christian ministry and preaches that Hurricane Katrina and defeat in the Vietnam war were God's punishment for sexual promiscuity and tolerance of homosexuals." (Guardian, 22 July) RD


text:
City workers return to Five Points to sweep homeless encampment
Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure crews return, people experiencing homelessness move along.
Denver police ensure people living on the street in Five Points pack up and move before the sidewalk is cleaned. May 7, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Donna Bryson
May. 07, 2020, 3:48 p.m.
When city cleanup crews moved into an area of Five Points last week, John John Nice moved out of their way, setting up camp a few blocks south along Glenarm Place.
On Thursday, the crews were back to the north of his tent. While Nice wasn't being asked to move this time, he expected he would be soon. He said he tried to keep his site neat but worried that others campers nearby who aren't so scrupulous would draw complaints.
"I'm still looking for the next place," Nice said. "I tell you what, it's going to be by myself."
Last week, Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure crews removed about 9,500 pounds of trash, including needles and propane in various sized cylinders, from a rectangle of Five Points between 20th Street and Park Avenue West and from Welton to Curtis streets. Nice's move to Glenarm took him just beyond the targeted area. On Thursday, his was among 19 tents pitched along a parking lot beneath a high rise apartment building and across the street from a row of single-family homes.
Nancy Kuhn, a city spokeswoman, said that while a significant amount of trash and hazardous materials were removed last week, asking people to move voluntarily had not produced "the compliance levels needed to thoroughly clean and disinfect the area."
On Thursday, people were told they had to move for crews hosing down the sidewalks with a mixture of water and bleach. Part 2 of the cleanup could continue into early next week, Kuhn said.
Police officers handed out face masks. Campers said some officers told them that if they returned, they faced ticketing or arrest, presumably under Denver's urban camping ban.
Dustin Fitzpatrick deconstructs his home on Curtis Street in Five Points at the orders of Denver Police. May 7, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
But Kuhn said in an email Thursday: "We're requiring that they move, temporarily, so that we can thoroughly clean. They can return."
Advocates say such cleanups could lead to people experiencing homelessness moving away from services they need amid the coronavirus outbreak. Five Points is home to day shelters and other services, including portable toilets.
Encampments can be crowded and lack access to places to clean up, conditions that make it difficult to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Because they often have other health concerns and their immune systems can be weakened by the stress of living on the streets, people experiencing homelessness are considered at greater risk of suffering the worst effects of COVID-19.
As of Thursday, according to city figures, 272 people experiencing homelessness had tested positive for COVID-19 in Denver. Four of those who tested positive have died. City spokeswoman Cyndi Karvaski said it is unclear if COVID-19 caused the four deaths.
Terese Howard of the advocacy group Denver Homeless Out Loud said 300 people were camping in the targeted area last week and 50 to 100 moved elsewhere following the initial cleanup.
Terese Howard, with Denver Homeless Out Loud, speaks to Denver Police Sgt. Brian Conover as his officers instruct people living on the street in Five Points to pack up and move for sidewalk cleaning. May 7, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Chloe, who only gave us her first name, said she moved from one side of California Street to the other last week, and would do the same Thursday.
"What would help right now is for us to have housing. All those hotels, all those apartments are abandoned," she said, gesturing to the high rises of Denver's skyline.
Chloe said she had taken a look inside the Coliseum, where following the coronavirus outbreak the city established a shelter for women and people who identify as women. Chloe said the cots at the Coliseum were too close together and that other shelters had bed bugs.
Chloe said she had been rejected by her family and discriminated against by employers because she identified as "gender fluid." She said she felt safe and accepted by the community she had found on the streets.
Since the first coronavirus cases were confirmed in Denver, the city started working with the Denver Rescue Mission, Catholic Charities of Denver and other providers to open 24-hour shelters equipped with cots and portable showers at both the Coliseum and the nearby National Western Complex. The National Western shelter was designed to accommodate 600 men and has held more most nights since it was opened, an indication that people want shelter. The Coliseum has room for 300 women. Officials say both were designed to allow guests to practice social distancing.
Other shelters had to close so that staff could be consolidated at the new shelters, so the move did not add substantially to the city's shelter capacity. The city and its partners also have secured hundreds of hotel rooms for the most vulnerable among people experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus outbreak.
Faith-based groups and organizations that provide housing, health, employment and other services for people experiencing homelessness have proposed that in addition to the hotel rooms and new shelters, the city establish a sanctioned camping area with hygiene, sanitation and health services. Mayor Michael Hancock has long opposed sanctioned camping, saying the city must offer more permanent shelter.
According to the latest point in time survey, which gives a snapshot that is likely an under-count, about 4,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Denver on any given night.
People forced to move tents during recent city cleanups have resettled here along Glenarm Place. May 7, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Nice described himself as "self sufficient." He keeps a plastic jug filled with water in his tent, which he had placed several yards from others.
"I'm constantly washing my hands," he said. "Being out here, you get dirty real, real quick."
He said his mother kicked him out of their Chicago home when he was 13. In the 14 years since, he said, he has earned a high school diploma and an associate's degree in computer-aided design and has overcome a heroin addiction.
"Not everybody you see out here is necessarily on drugs, on alcohol, a criminal or whatever," he said.
Nice said he gets by by accepting food handouts and scavenging or borrowing other necessities. He prefers his tent to a shelter and said he doesn't see the point in working to barely afford to rent a home.
"I won't work," he said. "It's not for me. I've tried it numerous times. I can't do it."
Danny Frantz lives on the 15th floor of the apartment building near where Nice had pitched his tent. Frantz, out with his wife Thursday walking their two dogs, said he has seen an increase in homelessness in the neighborhood, which he attributed to the job losses that have resulted from the impact of the coronavirus on the economy. Frantz said he and his wife give their unhoused neighbors water.
"I wish we could do more," he said.
Sam Tremble, who owns a Denver moving company, came to Five Points with a truck loaded with bottled water after a friend told him about the cleanup. Tremble said he had been wanting to see what he could do to help people experiencing homelessness, and a slowdown in business left him free Thursday.
Tremble said it was the first time he had seen a cleanup.
"It's painful to watch," he said. "I don't know how to solve the problem of homelessness. If they're not going to straight up arrest everybody and throw everything away, maybe they could err more on the side of listening to the people here."
Tremble used his truck to help some people move their belongings a few blocks.
A class action suit that was settled in federal court last year governs such cleanups. The plaintiffs had challenged the way city employees handled their belongings during some street cleanups in 2016. The settlement's provisions included requiring the city to give written notice before clearing away belongings. The settlement also called on the city to enact policies to ensure the return of property confiscated during clearances. The agreement does not limit the city's ability to act quickly in cases when public health and safety are threatened.
Police spokesman Jay Casillas said no one at the camp or related to the cleanup was arrested Thursday, but that a man on a bicycle struck a patrol vehicle in the area with a baseball bat. Casillas said the cyclist tried to ride away but hit a vehicle and was injured. He was arrested on a charge of damaging government property and taken to a hospital for evaluation. Casillas said the cyclist was not a part of the camps that were being cleaned.
A man is arrested after he allegedly hit a police car with a baseball bat during a sweep of Denver's unhoused in Five Points. May 7, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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President Donald Trump's promise to cut taxes, push for business-friendly policies, boost the military and deport criminals during a joint session of Congress earned rave reviews — even a few from past critics who declared the speech "presidential" — and helped propel the stock market to its biggest single-day gain in nearly four months.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose above 21,000 points for the first time Wednesday, the biggest gain for the blue-chip index so far this year. Growing speculation that the Federal Reserve may soon elect to raise interest rates again also helped put traders in a buying mood.
Republicans widely praised the president's address while Trump's Democratic critics were reminded of the star appeal that helped fuel his drive to the White House last year. After celebrating the speech with the president over hot dogs and popcorn in the White House residence late Tuesday night, White House aides moved swiftly to keep a good moment going.
Plans to follow Trump's speech with the signing of a revamped, yet still controversial, travel ban executive order on Wednesday were delayed, so the administration avoided trampling on the looping highlight reel of Trump's speech on cable television. Press secretary Sean Spicer's daily briefing, which has become a must-watch television event, was switched to an off-camera gaggle.
Trump's first major address to the Congress and the nation was seen by an estimated 47.4 million people. The Nielsen company said Wednesday that Trump's audience was impressive but couldn't quite match the first such speech by predecessor Barack Obama, who drew an audience of 52.4 million in 2009. The numbers, however, did not include streaming data.
Republicans declared the speech a giant stride for the administration, delivering a focused blueprint for the next four years. Democrats again accused Trump of offering bold visions with few details to support them.
Meanwhile, an emboldened Team Trump snagged another cabinet victory Wednesday, as former Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke was sworn in as interior secretary, giving him oversight of 400 million acres of public land, most of it in the West.
And the White House's top ethics attorney announced that counselor Kellyanne Conway would not face severe punishment because she "acted inadvertently" and "without nefarious motive" when she promoted Ivanka Trump's fashion line during a television interview.
Stefan Passantino, deputy counsel on compliance and ethics, wrote that he met with Conway and resolved the matter. In a Feb. 9 interview, Conway urged TV viewers to "go buy Ivanka's stuff," reacting to reports that Nordstrom had dropped the line.
A day after the president decried the "disaster" of the Affordable Care Act, Republicans struggled to lay out strategies to make good on seven years of promises to repeal and replace Obama's health care law. Most said Trump's speech hadn't changed that or brought them much closer together.
As Republicans cheered and Democrats sat silently Tuesday night, Trump declared: "We should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded health savings accounts — but it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on them by the government." Those were comments House GOP leaders interpreted as an embrace of their plan to replace the Affordable Care Act with a new system built around refundable tax credits.
But conservatives who have been rebelling against that plan, denouncing the credits as a costly new entitlement, disagreed. And they showed few signs of backing down, although Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., leader of a large group of House conservatives, conceded Wednesday that the refundable tax credits likely will be included in the GOP leadership plan, adding he would try to limit the cost of those credits.
GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who has joined Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky in declaring their opposition to the legislation emerging in the House, accused the media of "bending over backwards" to interpret Trump's remark as a specific legislative proposal. Cruz insisted that Congress should begin by passing legislation that simply repeals Obamacare like a bill Obama vetoed in early 2016.
The stance adopted by Cruz, Lee and Paul provoked familiar criticism from other Republican senators who fear that the rebels could block action given the GOP has few votes to spare with a slim 52-48 majority in the Senate.
Behind the scenes, the White House counsel's office instructed the president's aides to preserve materials that could be connected to Russian interference in the 2016 election and related issues, three administration officials said Wednesday.
The memo, sent to White House staff on Tuesday, follows a request from Senate Democrats last week asking the White House — as well as law enforcement agencies — to keep all materials involving contacts that Trump's administration, campaign and transition team — or anyone acting on their behalf — have had with Russian government officials or their associates. The Senate Intelligence Committee also made a similar request to the White House and agencies.
The three administration officials who confirmed that White House staffers were instructed to comply did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the counsel's office memo publicly.
Trump has been dogged by questions about his advisers' ties to Russia since the campaign. Federal investigators have been looking into possible contacts between Trump advisers and Russia, while congressional committees are investigating Russia's role in political hacking during the campaign.
The intelligence community has assessed that Russia's hacking of Democratic groups and operatives was carried out to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.


There's a lot of whining from certain individuals, groups, and anti-American factions of the U.S. media, because the 2020 U.S. Census WILL ask about Citizenship-Immigration status.
What is striking in the 2010 census form is the lack of citizenship or birthplace question.
The 2010 Census website explains the issue, but fails to answer why the form changed suddenly this year. While it may be Constitutional to count every person living in the United States, it should not preclude the Census Bureau from knowing what is the legal status of those living in the country.
Just like today, the media was extremely liberal in 2010. They didn't report the sudden removal of the Citizenship question from the 2010 Census, because they knew why the Obama Administration did it. More Democratic voters, and potentially more taxpayer dollars to Blue states, like California. In addition, the Obama Administration could not be held accountable for allowing many millions of law-breaking non-citizens to enter and live in the United States, if Congress had no idea how many were here, and where they were living.
The Obama Administration thought Americans were too stupid to know they were being screwed by ObamaCare, and too dumb to understand the significance of removing the citizenship question from the 2010 U.S. census. To Obama's dismay, Americans proved him wrong, and voted most Democrats out of office, all over the country, from 2010 thru 2016.
Thanks to the Donald Trump Administration, the 2020 U.S. Census will return to tradition, and ask about citizenship, like it did from 1850 to 2000.
Why not use it to stop illegals from working?
Somehow, they're able to get Government benefits like food stamps and insurance. If illegals can pilfer the government, that means employers aren't being monitored too closely.
As someone who was a Case Manager, determining eligibility for these benefits, I can tell you have no idea what you're talking about. But I'm sure you were just about to post a source to your claim.
And as someone that's lived in the neighborhoods, I can tell you just as confidently that they do commit fraud to gain these benefits in many cases.
I wonder which of us has the greater authority to fallaciously wield.
Illegal or not every person should count . Why well taxes how many schools are needed how many new roads that sort of thigng .
Kind of hard to make any plan when 5 million heads fail to be counted .
so giving illegals a pass on the census is logical .
There is no doubt about it. This has been on the Census for hundreds of years. Not until these "PC" "SJW" windbags came around was it ever a problem.
Clearly undocumented immigrants who can't vote have no reason to be factored into a State's allotted electors.
I think there are far larger things to worry about than arresting/deporting every illegal immigrant. Prioritizing those convicted of serious crimes is IMHO the most effective way forward.
That being said, since the Census data is used to draw voting districts and allocate State's electors it seems reasonable. Since undocumented immigrants cannot vote, they really have no business being considered in the entire electoral process. This doesn't just include voting.
Wouldn't otherwise this be allowing a foreign interest to influence our domestic election? Isn't this exactly what the far-left has been in hysterics over RE: Russia's alleged influence? Only the alleged Russia "meddling" was on a *much* smaller scale. We're talking millions here illegally. It is important to be internally consistent, especially when discussing matters of significant national importance.
At some point even liberals will have to ask themselves why Democrats are against every single route to identify illegal aliens and make it harder for them to vote.
The joke is tired man.
And then you're supposed to say "The people in my basement don't think it's a joke."
Do you at least take them to the polls on voting day?
I thought about reporting my wife as an illegal alien just to see what happens.


Vintage and Genealogy, two of my favourite things! I'm Tracy Malesky, Putnam Vintage Curator and Genealogist, from Raggz and Relics inviting you take a glimpse into my world.
Like most Etsyians my shop was started and grew from my passions, and those passions were born at a very young age. I grew up surrounded by Antiques, both objects and people, and early on learned to appreciate their stories and value. Summers spent among the elders of my tribe listening to their tales lead to an obsession to know more.
I knew that the set of Bavarian China in my Grandmothers hutch, once belonged to HER Grandmother, as did the hutch. I found myself needing to know who Grammy's grandmother's grandmother was. At a very young age I knew who I was and how I fit in to the family.
Who's to say if the family stories made the love of antiques bloom, or if it was the other way around. Whichever, I was left with a drive to pursue both. I spent my twenties collecting, china, dolls, bears, crockery, old jewellery, depression glass, whatever caught my fancy. I became addicted to the hunt and filled my home until it was bursting at the seams. And then along comes the World Wide Web, suddenly people could "go" anywhere, share anything, meet anyone, all without leaving your own little world.
Genealogy, became an instant draw and major hit on the good old internet, and people quickly began sharing family information with folks they had never met before. Genealogy and History projects dedicated to documenting and preserving history soon had a louder voice and wider reach and I was right smack dab in the middle of it all. I had found my calling. My analytical mind excelled at reviewing old documents, following the clues they gave became second nature and weaving together their stories became my purpose. Sharing what I had found led me to learn website and graphic design and eventually to help organize and found a local Genealogical Society.
Fast forwarding 20+ years finds me working to live my passions every day. Raggz and Relics offers a Magnificent Medley of Miscellanea from lovingly curated Vintage objects, to gifts specifically designed for the Genealogy addicted, to Genealogical Research packages that can be custom designed to fit any need including reviewing your DNA test results and incorporating them into your family research. After all, how more personal a gift can you give or receive than YOUR family's history.
So why not take a step into my world and take a look around, enjoy a virtual cup of tea from one of my vintage tea pots, and let me help you turn over the stones in your history, tend to your roots and grow your own Family Tree.
Just to thank you for your time and interest I am offering a special summer long 20% discount to Etsy Original followers on any shop offerings not already marked down. Just use coupon code ORIGINALS at check out through 08/31/2018. See ya Soon!


text:
88 posts, 2 comments
http://www.economicthought.net/blog/
Formerly at [Tony] Robbins Research International and at Now Media Group as their Director of Marketing, Jonathan has a background in quantitative economics and analytics.
Why You Should Publish More Often
May 16, 2019 Jonathan Finegold
People don't like doing business with a company, they like doing business with a person. Unsurprising, then, how many business owners and entrepreneurs have leveraged social media to promote their expertise, personality, and authority to establish themselves as not just "some person," but authorities in their subject. What is authority marketing? How does one become…
The Small Business' One True Guide to SEO
May 2, 2019 Jonathan Finegold
Is SEO a black hole for small businesses? To the many who spend a lot of money month after month, it sure feels that way, especially if you're not quite sure where that money is being spent. It shouldn't be that way. In a world where Google is completely intertwined with our lives (and your…
Excellence in SEO Starts Offline
April 4, 2019 Jonathan Finegold
One of the most frustrating experiences for any SEO is when a site with duplicate content or spammy backlinks outperforms a competitor who has done everything right. How does that happen? John Mueller, a webmaster trends analyst at Google, recently shed some light on why Google will sometimes rank more poorly optimized websites. According to…
10 Must-Read Books & Why Multidisciplinary Reading is a MUST
March 28, 2019 Jonathan Finegold
Do you have a favorite genre of books? What percentage of your reading does this genre make up? If that percentage is very high, like above 50 percent, there are good reasons for branching out. Reading at all is great, and becoming rarer, so kudos, but if you want to take that next step and…
8 Tips on Management From Harvard Business Review
Managing and running an independent, high producing group or team is easier said than done. It's a multi-faceted task that requires, among other things, empathy, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking. It's a job that places you, the manager, in different roles, going from coach and mentor in one instance to disciplinarian in the next. Management…
What Alexander the Great Can Teach Us About Business
If you haven't noticed already, I have an esoteric taste in books. I recently finished Donald Engel's Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, which — despite the title and subject matter — is a remarkably interesting and insightful book. The breadth of Engels' research is impressive, as he's able to unite…
Which Dental Patient Management System is Best?
February 28, 2019 Jonathan Finegold
There are a lot of patient management systems out there. A small handful dominate the market. Which one is best? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? We conducted a survey to hear directly from the dentists using these systems what they liked and disliked. Breaking down the answers, we put together this report…
Google Search Console for Dentists and Small Business
How are you allocating your SEO resources? What about determining where the next SEO hour will have the most impact on revenue? Or figuring out whether your SEO efforts need to be paired with conversion optimization to get more revenue out of that organic traffic? These are some of the questions around which I've structured…
Validation: The Single Most Important Element of Excellent Customer Service
"What if making one tweak to your day-to-day conversations could immediately improve every relationship in your life?" reads the back cover of I Hear You. A bold claim, for sure. It's a claim that stands the test of experience. Michael Sorensen's book is a powerful tool for anybody willing to apply its lessons to everyday interactions…
10 Big Mistakes That Can Kill a Website
February 7, 2019 Jonathan Finegold
1. Site Cannot Be Crawled Every site has a robots.txt file. To reach it, just take your domain and add /robots.txt. If it looks like the one above, then it's disallowing any and all crawlers from every page on the website. That's bad, very bad for SEO. If the Google bot can't access and read…
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I Want MY Hair BAck!!!
Kelley went LIVE last night with Emiliee, concerning a new opportunity with MONAT. MONAT is offering shares with their company that pay quarterly dividends. Can you believe it! Well, I've just decided to go from VIP Customer to Market Partner. It's not much to pay for the beginner's kit and that's all one needs to get started. Besides, since I'm using their products, anyway, why not go for a higher discount for my own purchases. Well, of course, being a Market Partner will bring in an additional income and well for this retired teacher, I'm willing to give it a shot. Also, I want to learn more about their extensive product line, so I can give advice to others. That's the teacher in me!


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Religion Wiki
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A parish is the lowest ecclesiastical subdivision in the administrative structure of the Orthodox Christian Church. Parishes are grouped into larger administrative bodies, varying in name per jurisdiction, such as deaneries which are subdivisions of dioceses or eparchies. Each parish is served by a parish priest, who may be assisted by other junior priests or by retired priests who are attached to the parish.
The word "parish" is also used in reference to the community (assembly) of people who attend a particular church that is served by a parish priest who has been entrusted with the position by the diocesan bishop.
During the early centuries of the Church the entire body of Christians in a city was under a bishop, much as the parish under a parish priest has been in later times. As Christianity spread into the country side from the fourth century on, the Christians in the major villages were organized into separate communities to which the bishop of the nearest city would assign a priest as their leader. These communities, served by a priest, came to be called parishes.
The word "parish" has its origins both in Scriptural use and from territorial references used in the Roman Empire. The word "parish" itself is derived from the Anglo-French parosse (about 1075), later as paroche (about 1292), then in Old French paroisse, and from Latin paroechia meaning a "diocese." In Greek, παρоικια (paroikia) meaning "district" or "diocese," which is derived from the Greek παρά (beside), οικος (house). The Greek term παρоικια, "district" or "diocese," originally meant "sojourn in a foreign land" (in the Septuagint) or "community of sojourners," with reference to the Jewish people in a foreign land, later with reference to earthly life as a temporary abode (1st century A.D.), and also in the New Testament: 1 Peter 1:17, 2:11); whence the term was applied to the "Christian community" as a whole (3rd century), then to the "diocese" (3rd century), and ultimately "parish" (4th century).
The English language word "parish" is derived from the alternate Latin spelling parochia (which came from the Greek: πάροχος = "riding in the same chariot as," "beside the chariot of"), a local official in the Roman provinces who furnished public officials with food and other supplies when they passed through the local area.
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It was astoundingly funny and downright alarming all at once to hear Alaska Senator Ted Stevens incoherently speak about his concept of what the internet really is during a Senate debate on the critical subject of net neutrality. He boiled it down brilliantly to a few simple words that even the most clairvoyant would have a tough time understanding what the intended message was supposed to be. Listen here… it is not edited!!! Really.
Senator Stevens is of course a Republican and has served 37 years in Washington—far too many it seems. He is also the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. He even has a law degree from prestigious Harvard Law School—they should start discounting their tuition. Ted Stevens is the Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation—he is in charge of the committee that oversees technology legislation and the future of the internet as you now use it; even though he doesn't quite seem to get it. Amazing.
Jon Stewart of the Daily Show breaks it down for us here. Funny.


Torgiano is one of 59 municipalities of Province of Perugia.
Inhabitants: includes approximately 5750 inhabitants.
Elevation: approximately 219 meters above sea level.
Border municipalities: Torgiano borders : Bastia Umbra, Bettona, Deruta, Perugia.


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22 West 19th Street, Cluett Building Office Space
Design by Robert Maynicke
Address: 22 West 19th Street Class: B
Cross Streets: Fifth & Sixth Avenues Size: 215,000 SF
Year built: 1901 Architect: Robert Maynicke
The striking office building located at 22 West 19th Street in Midtown South was completed back in 1901. Designed by Robert Maynicke, the property was built to serve as the New York City headquarters of Cluett, Peabody & Co. of Troy, N.Y. The company manufactured collars and shirts and was renowned for creating the Arrow brand of detachable shirt collars. The store-and-loft property was converted to creative office space in 2000 and nowadays houses various office and retail tenants.
215 KSF of Class B Chelsea Office Space
22 West 19th Street, also known as The Cluett Building, offers 215,000 square feet of Class B Chelsea office space across 11 floors. The property is owned and managed by the Kaufman Organization and was renovated in 1988 and 2013. In 2021, the building owner renovated and restored the lobby, which features an ornate, one-of-a-kind staircase and original marble paneling.
Amenities at this Class B Manhattan office building include hardwood floors, tenant-controlled HVAC, 24/7 access, 11.5-foot ceiling height, a pantry room for cafe seating, a spacious lobby area, and five elevators. The property also incorporates ground-floor retail space and an 8,000-square-foot showroom.
Getting to and from 22 West 19th Street
The Cluett Building benefits from an excellent location in the heart of Midtown South, in the bustling Chelsea submarket. Those working in the building at 22 West 19th Street have easy access to various shopping and dining destinations, as well as public transportation. In addition, the building is located close to the 14th Street Subway Station, the 23rd Street Subway Station, and the 18th Street Subway Station.
Who is renting office space at 22 West 19th Street?
22 West 19th Street is home to various office and retail tenants, including FXCollaborative, Nelson, City Papery, Inturn, Fort Street Studio, Agile Lens, Fisher Marantz Stone, Ferra Fitness, and Carbone Smolan Agency.
How much is the rent price for office space at 22 West 19th Street?
Office asking rents at 22 West 19th Street hover around $65 per square foot, which is significantly more affordable than the average rent in Midtown South, which often surpasses $80 or even $90 per square foot. The Cluett Building is a Class B office building ideally suited to startups or smaller creative businesses looking for quality office space in a transit-oriented location.
Image via Google Street View
West 21st Street, Budget Office Space, Open Plan, Hardwood Floors
3,415 SF | Flatiron
West 20th Office Loft Rental with Skylight
West 21st St. Loft Space
Street Near 6th Avenue, Bright Corner Office, Best Block in Chelsea
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sym collaborator Sadie Powers gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the process of developing sym's unique sound with Herman "Soy Sos" Pearl and Bonnie Jones. sym premieres April 12 and 13, 2019 at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater and is inspired by Fledgling, a novel by African American Sci-Fi writer Octavia Butler. sym was commissioned by the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh, PA.


Serving in the United States Navy is a source of pride for every sailor. It takes bravery, dedication and hard work to be among the men and women of the United States Navy. That is why sailors can often be found wearing Navy memorabilia even when they're out of uniform. They switch from uniforms to Navy t-shirts embellished with the same symbolism that accents their regulation clothing. From active duty to veteran status, Navy t-shirts keep the spirit of the USN alive in the wearer. Medals of America has a great selection of Navy t-shirts in stock. Some of them are funny and light-hearted. Others represent units, battles and the Navy itself with detailed symbols designed to be as authentic as necessary. We offer limited long-sleeve options as well for cool days. Every one of our Navy t-shirts is printed on comfortable, durable fabric. We print them right here at Medals of America in South Carolina. We're sure you'll love our selection, whether you're keeping a shirt for yourself or gifting it to someone special. More than 40 years ago, a veteran and his wife started Medals of America almost accidentally. Today, veterans run and staff the company, making it easy to ensure the best quality products. You can always be certain that the people who handle your T-shirts are the same people who would also wear them with pride. They know what you're looking for, and they help us make sure you get it. In the spirit of giving back to our military, Medals of America will donate a portion of your purchase to Morale Welfare Recreation activities through Army Life and Marine Corps Life.


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John Diamond Quotes & Sayings
Enjoy the top 17 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by John Diamond.
Famous Quotes By John Diamond
I have had a number of patients with breast cancer, all of whom had root canals on the tooth related to the breast area on the associated energy meridian. — John Diamond
How could anything so sublimely complicated not be the simple answer? — John Diamond
All our problems are spiritual, and our only spiritual problem is not realizing we are spiritual. — John Diamond
Cancer is a word, not a sentence. — John Diamond
In some aspects of alternative medicine we are fighting an almost medieval belief in magic but debunking such beliefs is like telling people that the tooth fairy is sniffing glue. — John Diamond
The field of U.S. cancer care is organized around a medical monopoly that ensures a continuous flow of money to the pharmaceutical companies, medical technology firms, research institutes, and government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and quasi-public organizations such as the American Cancer Society (ACS). — John Diamond
I always defined myself in terms of my talkativeness, and being without a voice hits me in a number of ways. — John Diamond
To me, as to Pythagoras, music is not merely entertainment or amusement ... but therapy ... for actuating ... the healing power that exists within us all: Life Energy. — John Diamond
Sex problems never are, they are troubles of the heart. — John Diamond
I write about living, not dying. — John Diamond
Conventional cancer treatments are in place as the law of the land because they pay, not heal, the best. — John Diamond
Chemotherapy's success record is dismal. It can achieve remissions in about 7% of all human cancers; for an additional 15% of cases, survival can be "prolonged" beyond the point at which death would be expected without treatment. This type of survival is not the same as a cure or even restored quality of life. — John Diamond
A study of over 10,000 patients shows clearly that chemo's supposedly strong track record with Hodgkin's disease (lymphoma) is actually a lie. Patients who underwent chemo were 14 times more likely to develop leukemia and 6 times more likely to develop cancers of the bones, joints, and soft tissues than those patients who did not undergo chemotherapy . — John Diamond
People assume that death hanging over my head would allow me to put things into perspective, but that's not how it works. — John Diamond
Most of the time, I'm not scared. I get on with life, not because I'm a fatalist, but because that's the most congenial way of dealing with things. Indeed, most of the time, I'm not conscious of dealing with anything. — John Diamond
Until relatively recently, mass political movements were still about basic rights of food, shelter, education and self sufficiency. The reasons fewer people vote these days, or turn up for political meetings, is that for the vast majority of us those rights have been fulfilled. These days it's in the adverts for mobile phones or foreign holidays where phrases like "Join the Revolution!" and "Cry Freedom!" are bandied about for a generation which knows nothing of their provenance. Just as now we have luxury illnesses to replace real ones, so now we have luxury politics. — John Diamond
In the face of such overwhelming statistical possibilities hypochondria has always seems to me to be the only rational position to take on life. — John Diamond
What will be left of all the fearing and wanting associated with your problematic life situation that every day takes up most of your attention? A dash, one or two inches long, between the date of birth and date of death on your gravestone."
Author: Eckhart Tolle
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As virtual reality is becoming an actual reality, companies are testing various applications. The most recent one is in higher education. University's in the United Kingdom are introducing majors in augmented reality and virtual reality. The classes are also conducted in the VR/AR glasses. The rise in distance education was supported by online video call platforms such as webex, but virtual reality classes will introduce a whole new level for online education. United States' universities are not too far from introducing virtual reality classes. Even though these classes are in the beta stage but the most practical usage for VR/AR is in the law school since it requires many mock trials and has a need for a courtroom environment. According to US college news in 2017, over 6.3 million people enrolled in online distance education. Private institutions like Pearson education is also experimenting with virtual reality homework.


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2 edition of Energy and economy, global interdependences found in the catalog.
Energy and economy, global interdependences
IAEE Conference (7th 1985 Bonn, Germany)
papers of the plenary sessions of the 1985 International Conference of the International Association of Energy Economists (IAEE) and its German Chapter, the Gesellschaft für Energiewissenschaft und Energiepolitik (GEE)
by IAEE Conference (7th 1985 Bonn, Germany)
Published 1986 by Verlag TÜV Rheinland in Köln .
Petroleum industry and trade -- Government policy -- Congresses.,
Petroleum industry and trade -- International cooperation -- Congresses.,
Petroleum products -- Prices -- Congresses.,
International economic relations -- Congresses.,
Energy policy -- Congresses.
Includes bibliographies.
Statement Mark Baier (Hrsg.).
Contributions Baier, Mark., Gesellschaft für Energiewissenschaft und Energiepolitik (Germany)
LC Classifications HD9560.5 .I27 1985
Study 59 Concept Check 1 flashcards from Katie J. on StudyBlue. The broadening and deepening of interactions and interdependences among peoples and countries of the world. Rising trade is the engine that has helped to pull the global economy along; Technologies that have facilitated globalization. Twenty-seventh session of the Committee on Sustainable Energy. September , Geneva, United Nations, Palais des Nations capacity building in the field of energy-economy-environment analysis and planning in developing and to the fourteen global energy companies who comprise EIP's strategic investor network.
Then there is the language of poverty as the greatest global challenge, which introduces a moral hierarchy where poverty is placed in the top position. This is a reductionist perspective that frames away the importance of systemic causation, pushing system-level interdependences out of awareness so they don't come up in the discourse. The Ethics of Banking analyzes the systemic and the ethical mistakes that led to the crisis. It keeps the middle ground between excusing all failures by the argument of a systemic crisis not to be taken responsibility for by the financial managers and the moralistic reproach that only moral failure.
Here we conduct a parametric study to investigate the effects of hydrogen energy utilization on the global stability and sustainability. In this regard, in order to derive the hydrogen energy based sustainability ratio, the green energy based sustainability ratio, as developed earlier, is modified to come up with a new parameter, namely "hydrogen energy utilization ratio through non-fossil Cited by: competitive environment with volatile energy markets and uncertainties in the global economy. We will be faced with leveraging our ability and skill at collaborating to achieve this diversity of energy supply. The traditional automotive supply chain based on serial .
Proceedings of the International Congress of Celtic Studies
Yon-doo-shah-we-ah (nubbins)
The Somerville city directory
Country woman Christmas, 2001
treaty between India and the United Kingdom
Encyclopaedia of tropical fish
formulation of Minjung theology
Unit course for the training of coppersmiths.
The encyclopedia of the Taryag Mitzvoth
Too Deep for Tears
Four essays ...
House of Hagan re-visited
Plant a Seed with Poetry
Bugles on the Prairie
The Story of Mulan
Self-conflict, or, The powerful motions between the flesh & spirit
Modern poetry
Energy and economy, global interdependences by IAEE Conference (7th 1985 Bonn, Germany) Download PDF EPUB FB2
Add tags for "Energy and economy, global interdependences: papers of the plenary sessions of the International Conference of the International Association of Energy Economists (IAEE) and its German Chapter, the Gesellschaft für Energiewissenschaft und Energiepolitik (GEE)".
Be the first. Energy and Economy: Global Interdependences. William W. Hogan. irrigated by the economy and lit up by energy, the two sources of mankind's wealth and the subject of this conference. But when I began to spread my wings, I found that the countryside beneath me was extraordinarily familiar and that it was hard to find much of anything to.
The energy sectors in SMCs, especially in those exporting global interdependences book and gas, make up a large share of the economic activity and public finances. Nonetheless, certain market structure features and modes of energy sector operation lead to significant negative externalities, and can burden the whole economy.
The International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook sees oil prices rising back to US$78– per barrel by Helm posits a mere $40–60 per barrel, long-term.
Helm posits a Author: Michael Grubb. Development, Poverty and Energy, in the 21st Century Article (PDF Available) in Modern Economy 02(04) January with Reads How we measure 'reads'. interdependences of actors is of utmost interest when aiming at a circular economy characterized by value chains linked through transactions.
Sustainability10, 20 of This chapter presents a theoretical framework for understanding the rise of China as an innovative manufacturing hub within the constraints of a global system of fragmented production and a domestic political economy striving to create a capitalist society ruled by a communist party—an environment called structured uncertainty.
In so doing, it presents a detailed account of the global. Chapter 1 - Summary International Business. Summary of Chapter 1 of the subject. University. University of Washington.
Course. International Business (IBUS. Unfortunately, this book can't be printed from the OpenBook. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a PDF. Visit to get more information about this book, to buy it in print, or to download it as a free PDF.
Parallel to Klare, the book discusses China and India as a rising power, explaining that their largest form of energy use is coal.
This is causing global repercussions in the hydrocarbon energy markets, as by Chindia will need to import over half of their needed gas (63). ABSTRACT: This work explores the area of global interdependences and the global context. In particular it deals with interdependences that seem to be absent from current literature but could be of great significance to identify the biggest challenges that the economy and the energy sector will have to face in the next two or three decades.
The distribution of the benefits in the global economy depends, among other things, on a variety of global institutional arrangements, including those for fair trade, medical initiatives, educational exchanges, facilities for technological dissemination, ecological and environmental restraints, and fair treatment of accumulated debts that were.
eral Government, and crucially, global finance bodies. This effort was admittedly conceptual, referring to water, energy, and food in relation to ecosystem services, urbanization, globalization, the expanding discourse on security, and with dual development objectives to strengthen poverty alleviation and the green economy (figure 1).
Hoff Cited by: Tortajada C., Keulertz M. () Future Global Water, Food and Energy Needs. In: Brauch H., Oswald Spring Ú., Grin J., Scheffran J. (eds) Handbook on Sustainability Transition and Sustainable Peace.
Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace, vol Springer, Cham. First Online 11 August Cited by: 2. Global governance or world governance: When the political interaction of transnational actors aim at solving problems that affect more than one state or allusion when there is no power of enforcing compliance, in essence there are powers or global trusts that are.
The modern question of world governance exists in the context of non-nation sovereignty, hence globalization. The Global Age: NGIOA @ Risk by Jayshree Pandya. Paperback () $ Hardcover. $ This introductory book Global Age: NGIOA @ Risk addresses the global shifts and the changing global fundamentals of Global Age, to lay out much needed foundation of an integrated NGIOA risk governance framework for the coming tomorrow Author: Jayshree Pandya.
The fast-cycle innovation, technological transformation, and growth of corporations throughout the emerging economies, and particularly of Asian corporations, represents a profound shift in economic power in the global economy (Clarke, Chelliah, & Pattinson, ; Clarke & Lee, a).
Digital innovation may now prove a new source of Author: Thomas Clarke. This chapter discusses how the interaction of the Chinese political economy of structured uncertainty with global production networks led to the specific evolution of the Chinese auto industry.
The chapter is organized as follows. The first section considers the degree to which China follows—and diverges from—the Japanese and Korean developmental path, emphasizing China's much earlier and.
Chapter 11 is devoted to raising energy efficiency, e.g. by banning the bulb, using energy-efficient appliances, more efficient buildings, restructuring the transport system, a new materials economy, thus activating the energy saving potential. In Chapter 12 Brown shows chances for turning to renewable energy.
—In response to the global energy crisis, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) formed an energy task force, which became the AIA Committee on Energy.
—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was created to address energy usage and conservation. The Solar Energy Research Institute (later the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Author: Lydia Kallipoliti. The IEA reports that global emissions from the energy sector were bn tons inthe same as the previous two years, while the economy grew by %.
The IEA put the halt in growth down to growing renewable power generation, switches from coal to natural gas, and improvements in energy efficiency; but said it is too soon to say whether Author: Steffen Lehmann.In a new book, former oil geologist and government adviser on renewable energy, Dr.
Jeremy Leggett, identifies 5 "global systemic risks directly connected to energy" which, he says, together "threaten capital markets and hence the global economy" in a way that could trigger a global crash sometime between and According to.The Third Globalization Can Wealthy Nations Stay Rich in the Twenty-First Century?
Edited by Dan Breznitz and John Zysman. timely study of global economic issues; looks at the BRIC nations as a whole as well as at specific economic sectors; uses comparative perspective to paint fuller picture of the political implications of current world economy.
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Actor and author Jesse Eisenberg talks insufferable sisters and playing Horse with Carmelo Anthony, memoirist Sloane Crosley compares her latest book to The Goonies and indie sweetheart Laura Gibson changes genres. Three times.
In addition to having cornered the market on playing charming nerds in blockbusters, actor Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland, The Social Network) has published three plays, multiple New Yorker pieces and has now released a book of short stories, Bream Gives Me Hiccups, taking readers from modern L.A. to ancient Pompeii.
An essayist, editor and all-around literary supahstar, I Was Told There'd Be Cake author Sloane Crosley is known for her hilarious and poignant essays. Her upcoming first novel, The Clasp, is already receiving high praise.
Do you love Tiny Desk Concerts? You can thank Laura Gibson for that, as her beautiful, lilting and quietly powerful voice was the one that inspired NPR to start them. Laura's produced four solo records and her last collaboration was a musical, Up the Fall.